One of the most prevalent problems we see companies face today is the lack of competitive differentiation. If you were to do a quick Google search of liberal arts colleges, banks, or CPAs you’ll see a thousand websites that all say the same things, feel the same way, and send the same messages. Very few Read More
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That Metaphor About the House
My wife and I just moved into a new home in a neighborhood on the east side of town that we actually got to watch being built. Every 2–3 days we would drive out to the site to see the progress. We watched as it changed from a dirt lot, to a foundation, to a Read More
Building a Better AEC
Here at Resound we’ve got a soft spot in our hearts for the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry. I think that’s probably because the people in this industry are extremely intelligent, and have a high value for creativity. Likewise, we’re extremely creative, and…just intelligent enough to carry on a conversation with them. But, hey, at Read More
12 Ways to Die of Bad Marketing
You know what really scares us? Bad marketing: Marketing that’s not consistent, that uses gimmicks to sell product, or that treats people like robots for starters. It’s not a joke. It can kill you. Don’t believe us? Here’s 12 ways bad marketing can kill you: God save you from such a demise. If you need someone Read More
Don’t Be Human Spam
Have you ever been in a social setting where the person you’re interacting with only has one thing on his mind: himself? I was at a local entrepreneurial gathering lately and landed in a conversation in the aftermath where I was subjected to such an interaction. This person was very excited about how great he Read More
Don’t Trust the Brand-Aid
When I was a kid, my brother David fell off the top bunk and broke his collarbone. In the hectic moments following the collision, my Dad, in his great wisdom, picked up my brother, sat him down on the chair in the corner of the room, and put a Flintstones themed band-aid around his finger. Read More
Re-envisioning a Post-Apple Brandscape
I recently read a brilliant article written by a marketing and branding titan about how Apple changed the culture of customers’ expectations when interacting with brands. I’ve been stewing on a response ever since, because I think the author stopped short in describing the implications of this culture shift. Similarly, I think brands everywhere are Read More
Resonate With Your Audience
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde What does it mean to resonate? Well, The Physics Classroom offers the following definition: “Resonance – when one object vibrating at the same natural frequency of a second object forces that second object into vibrational motion…Resonance only occurs when the first object is vibrating at Read More
How Much Should I Spend On Marketing?
Of all the questions we get as branding and marketing consultants, how much to spend on marketing is pretty close to the top of our clients’ minds. And that makes sense—we’re all running businesses and organizations. Budgeting, costs, and expenses are all big parts of attaining success. And this is an even bigger question for Read More
Knowing Your Audience
The most important thing in communicating is knowing who you are. What’s your brand? What do you care about? What makes you remarkable? What’s your voice? But the next most important thing is probably knowing who you’re communicating to. Who’s your audience? What do they care about? How do they think? What language do they Read More
